New In Hardcover: Rick And Morty Vs. The Universe — Plus Rick And Morty: The End #5 and C2E2 Round Up

April 8, 2026 Daniel Kibblesmith

Hi, all.

On sale now in hardcover—

The Collected Rick And Morty Vs. The Universe (2025 - 2026)

Incredibly proud of this work — with amazing art by the dynamic and consistently mind-blowing Jarrett Williams, gorgeous colors by the endlessly impressive Alessandro Santoro and tie-ins co-written by me from all-star writers Jody Houser, Jake Black, and Alex Firer — reuniting with longtime Rick And Morty artist partner, Fred C. Stresing. But don’t take it from me, take it from publishers quoted by me. Via Oni Press and Simon & Schuster—

MOVE OVER, BIG BANG! GET WRECKED, BIG CRUNCH! GALAXIES COME AND GALAXIES GO, BUT OUR PLANE OF EXISTENCE HAS NEVER FACED ANYTHING AS CONSEQUENTIAL AS . . . THE FIRST-EVER RICK AND MORTY COMICS EVENT!

From the deviant psyches of comics mastermind and multiple Emmy Award–nominee Daniel Kibblesmith (Loki) and artistic annihilator Jarrett Williams (Speed Force), this summer's seven-part countdown to the end of everything that was, is, and will be begins with . . . a bachelor party that gets a little out of hand?

Rick’s old buddy Dimension C-137 (where Rick and Morty Cronenberg’d Earth) has reached his UNIVERSAL HALF-LIFE and is getting MARRIED—to the female-presenting embodiment of the Parmesan Dimension! He's found true love and wants his old pal Rick to plan his bachelor party! WHAT COULD GO WRONG? Answer: Pretty much everything . . . and it is all Rick's fault! Now Rick and Morty are on the run from EVERY SINGLE UNIVERSE THEY'VE EVER MESSED WITH—meaning, no matter what dimension they escape to, the universe will literally be against them. And, to survive, Rick will be forced to something he hoped he would never have to do—a last resort of EPIC PROPORTIONS!

DON'T CALL IT A CRISIS! The FIRST RICK AND MORTY COMICS EVENT in one EPIC volume, featuring Rick and Morty vs. the Universe #1–4 alongside three event tie-in one-shot issues featuring Summer, Jerry, Beth, Space-Beth, and Morty! Wubba Lubba Dub DUB!!

If you’ve ever watched the famous TV show Rick And Morty, or enjoyed any of my other comics, or follow me online and are curious about the jokes I write not-for-free — this is a big one for me. It’s the hardcover culmination of the first Rick And Morty Comics event from Oni Press, comprised of one four-issue cosmic epic, and three equally epic tie-ins.

It would mean the world to us if you picked it up here or from a local bookseller or comic shop near you. Read it and comment below to let me know what you think.

(And if you enjoy it — the follow-up hardcover Rick And Morty: The End is right around the corner.)

Also On Sale Now:

Rick And Morty: The End #5

This is a good one. I tasked myself and subsequently Jarrett with an insanely challenging premise — essentially doing a locked room mystery version of Twelve Angry Men as a twenty-page comic book. Jarret’s pacing, choreography and overall visual storytelling in this issue is truly masterful and Alessandro’s colors turn it into a psychological noir and battle of wits that adds so much complexity and tension (and comedy!) to the script — I’m eternally blown away by these guys and grateful to be working with them.

Via Oni Press—

From the twisted mind of @daniel.kibblesmith (Loki, Darkwing Duck) and the unceasing brush of @jarrettwilliams (Super Pro KO!) comes a mind-bending, body swapping, courtroom disaster of Rick and Morty proportions!

Rick Sanchez, the smartest man in the universe, is on trial for his life, and his latest tactic to avoid the gallows is to swap bodies with one of the jurors! But just to keep them guessing, he swaps EVERYONE’s bodies! How long can he evade capture trapped in a room with 12 angry, uh, humanoids? It’s literally a who’s who of the Rick and Morty universe! GET IT?!

🌀DON’T MISS THE END OF ‘THE END’ ON 5/13🌀

#rickandmorty #rickandmortycomics #onipress #getshwifty

The hashtags don’t work on my website, but I thought they were funny so I kept them. Pick up Rick And Morty: The End #5 digitally or from a local comic shop near you.

C2E2 2026 Round Up

Sweet home? CHICAGO? It’s more likely than you think.

Thanks to the con for having me, had fun, met fans, and sold a fair amount of books, which is great, because when they’re not in your hands, they’re in my garage — one assumes performing a more depressing version of Toy Story.*

Watched Cubs opening day on the flight in (went bad), met a Vote Loki, met a Low Key, met a very hardcore Darkwing Duck, my dad cosplayed as Tom Baker Doctor Who and I finally hit Red Hot Ranch. You can see most of this in the photo gallery above (I did not take a picture of Red Hot Ranch, but I thought about it). Look for cameos from Eric Lindberg (as Bilbo Baggins) and Andrew Rostan (as Andrew Rostan).

See you next year? Maybe! I’m pretty tired at any given moment.

Coming To Paperback And Hardcover

Darkwing Duck: Year One, Part One

Let’s get dangerous with our wallets.

Cover by Darkwing Duck creator, Tad Stones.

I wrote these for now-adult 90s kids to read with their 2020s kids. It’s working at my house. But don’t trust my child (ever). Trust this other publisher — Via Dynamite:

HE PUTS THE "ABLE" IN "UNRELIABLE NARRATOR"!
He is the terror that flaps in the night! The fowl that felons most fear! A legend in his own time (and his own mind)! He is... DARKWING DUCK!
But how did this avian exemplar develop his redoubtable reputation? What lessons did he learn in his early days of crime-busting and foe-foiling? His legion of fans (or, at least, his adopted daughter, Gosalyn) want to know - and DW is more than happy to tell her the whole (possibly embellished) story in this unauthorized (and unorganized) autobiography!
Acclaimed author DANIEL KIBBLESMITH (Black Panther vs. Deadpool) and the double-headed art team of TED BRANDT & RO STEIN (The Mighty Captain Marvel) return to the rooftops of St. Canard for an all-new tale that revisits (and revises) Darkwing Duck's formative years.
Collecting issues #1-6 of the high-flying series, Darkwing Duck: Year One, Part One also includes a complete cover gallery featuring iconic imagery from BRANDT & STEIN, MARK BAGLEY, NICOLETTA BALDARI, CIRO CANGIALOSI, and TAD STONES - creator of the original Darkwing Duck animated series!

Preorder it directly from Dynamite here or call your favorite local comic shop or bookstore now.

Currently Playing

On a big Blade Runner kick lately, and was astonished to find out that people hold this game in high regard. Given how relatively little Blade Runner expanded media there is (which I do feel is for the best) I was very excited to learn that the licensed tie-in computer game was actually good. This is the “enhanced” version, but the first thing I did was turn off the graphic smoothing because, at my age, 90% of this exercise is pixel nostalgia.

I got my digital copy for the Switch (1) on sale for $2.49 (sale ends 4/15/26). I don’t receive a commission for sales links, this ain’t Wirecutter. I just care about you.

*How do you do a more depressing version of Toy Story?

Chicago bound for C2E2! Plus 'MAD About D.C.' teaser and Rick And Morty: THE END #4.

March 18, 2026 Daniel Kibblesmith

This is Daniel Kibblesmith’s free non-Substack blog and newsletter. It doesn’t cost any money. In fact, I lose a small amount of money every day that it exists. But social media has reached its logical conclusion of being close to unusable, and I’m nostalgic for the Internet of Websites (like this one).

So thank you for visiting, reading, and if you’re not already subscribed, you can sign up by clicking below to receive more exciting updates from me like this one.

Hi, all.

I’m coming to Chicago — 3/27 through 3/29 — for C2E2 2026!

That toddlin’ town.

Find me Friday through Sunday at The McCormick Center at Artist Alley Table # V-12 — pictured on the extremely helpful map below.

I’ll be selling and signing copies of my new book, How To Survive The Marvel Universe, as well as a “greatest hits” of books and comics like:

Marvel’s Loki (out of print!)
Black Panther Vs. Deadpool
Oni’s Rick And Morty
Santa’s Husband AND Princess Dinosaur (both illustrated by THE Ashley Quach)
A collection of all-ages Spider-Verse stories — and more!

And very happy to sign, for free, any other comics you happen to bring with you. Written by me, or otherwise.

Mad About D.C. Teaser Trailer

Up next — a hearty “Uh-oh,” triggered by my editor, acquaintance, god, and least favorite child, CHIP ZDARSKY.

Click here (if you’re reading this in your e-mail) or watch below (when viewing on the famous website Kibblesmith.com) to see the new “cinematish” teaser from virtuoso comics creator and the editor of the upcoming Mad About D.C., Chip Zdarsky — as he quote “debases himself” for clicks and (god willing) your pre-orders.

But don’t take Chip’s word for it. Like all Canadians, he is a shape-changing trickster. Here’s the official word via D.C. Comics:

DC is proud (and slightly concerned) to announce MAD About DC, a 64-page one-shot arriving April 1, 2026. Yes, April 1. And no, this isn’t a prank—unless you count letting Chip Zdarsky run this thing as its Guest Editor a prank on the DC Universe itself. You’d have to ask Chip.
“They say at DC there’s nowhere to go but down after writing Batman, and, yeah, it’s true,” said Zdarsky. “It’s very true.”
MAD About DC brings together an all-star lineup of writers and artists to lovingly roast, parody, and generally make a mess of the characters fans hold dear.
“This project embraces the spirit of MAD Magazine in the best possible way,” said Marie Javins, DC’s Editor-in-Chief. “MAD has a long tradition of sharp, fearless satire, poking fun at everything, including DC, with real wit and craft. When Chip pitched a project that would roast the DC Universe, it was clear he could assemble the right team. These creators know our characters inside and out, which is why they can twist them in ways that feel both surprising and smart. That kind of playful irreverence is what MAD does best.”
Inside MAD About DC, readers will find:
• Sergio Aragonés with “A MAD Look at Comic Book Stores”
• Jim Zub & Ramon Perez teaming for “Guy vs. Spy”
• A brand-new DC Fold-In by Charles Soule & Ryan Browne
• A parade of MAD-style parodies skewering the DC comic books you love, and a few you’ve always hated anyway, from Kyle Starks, Dave Johnson, Tini Howard, Mattie Lubchansky, Mark Waid, Ty Templeton, Rainbow Rowell, Vita Ayala, M.L. Sanapo, Mark Russell, Steve Lieber, Jeff Parker, Lukas Ketner, Gerry Duggan, Scott Aukerman, Mitch Gerads, Joanne Starer, Joe Quinones, Scott Snyder, Josh Williamson, Deniz Camp, Gail Simone, Colleen Doran, Joe Kelly, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Valentine De Landro, Ryan North, Erica Henderson, Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, Mariko Tamaki, Riley Rossmo, Al Ewing, PJ Holden, Shannon Wheeler, Leah Williams, Isaac Goodhart, Cody Ziglar, Daniele Di Nicuolo, Daniel Kibblesmith, Brandt & Stein, Casey Gilly, J. Bone, Skottie Young, Andrew Wheeler, Stephen Byrne, Colleen Coover, Benjamin Errett, Matt Fraction, Kagan McLeod, Lee Gatlin, Joseph Starkey, Graham Roumieu…and more?!
Whether you’re a lifelong MAD Magazine fan, a DC diehard, or simply someone who enjoys watching respected creators make questionable choices, MAD About DC promises to fulfill your every comic book dream…or at least three or four of them.
MAD About DC goes on sale April 1, 2026, wherever comics are sold. No whoopee cushions included. The issue features a main cover by Dan “MAD About Gluten Labeling Because It Should Actually Be Clearer or Else What’s the Point” Panosian ($7.99 US), cardstock variants by Simon Bisley and Chip Zdarsky ($8.99 US), and a foil variant by Panosian ($10.99 US).

Call your local comics shop to reserve a copy now — and if you don’t have a local shop yet, find one here!

On Sale Now!

Rick And Morty: The End #4

We’re closer to the end of the end to the beginning of the end — a sentence that we all agree makes perfect sense. Now on sale digitally and at your local comic shop, the latest installment of Rick And Morty: The End!

Looks like we might be doing some kind of Hannibal Lecter thing? Weird! Here’s what Oni Press has to say about it:

It’s the trial of the century as Rick Sanchez stands accused of crimes against all existence! His only representation: his grandson, Morty Smith, for the defense! WHAT COULD GO WRONG?! As the trial gets underway, a cavalcade of all-star characters from Rick and Morty’s storied past (and future) come forward to offer testimony tipping the scales endlessly back and forth in a galactic tête-à-tête between the greatest minds of our time . . . and the worst. The clock is ticking down to THE END in the next mind-bending chapter of the finale to Oni Press’ groundbreaking Rick and Morty saga from Emmy Award nominee Daniel Kibblesmith (Loki) and fan-favorite artist Jarrett Williams (Speed Force).

I.P. tie-in comics occupy a weird space in the art and business of comic books and it can be difficult to get people to check them out —and this property in particular has had it’s ups and downs, let’s say. But I think this is easily some of my best work and much of that work is an attempted meta-narrative about the ups and downs — what even is this, what is it to us, who are we, and why are we all doing this?

In fact, let’s just assume that is my best work, because it’s my most recent, and it’s an attractive narrative that I just keep getting better and better as I hone my craft. If that sounds like narcissistic madness — good ear! But it is undeniable that the visual component is incredible work from artist Jarrett Williams and colorist Alessandro Santoro, both of whom have been on these series with me from the beginning and both of whom seem able to level up extraordinarily with every issue.

So please check it out! Pick up the individual digital issues of Rick And Morty: The End to read on the device you’re currently using and also zip back to its first chapter Rick And Morty Vs. The Universe, out in hardcover next month.

Also Still On Sale!

Rick And Morty Vs. The Universe from Oni Press
Darkwing Duck from Dynamite Entertainment
And the 144-page, illustrated hardcover handbook from Chronicle Books — So You’ve Been Bitten By A Radioactive Spider: How To Survive The Marvel Universe.

—all available digitally or from a local comic shop near you.

Okay, see you in Chicago. Or should I say C 2 in Chicago … E 2.

'Strip Law' streaming NOW! Plus Lilo and Stitch in comic book form

February 25, 2026 Daniel Kibblesmith

Hi, all.

Cullen Crawford’s new animated comedy Strip Law is officially streaming now on Netflix.

This is how it feels to watch Netflix’s *Strip Law*.

Strip Law is the funniest new show on TV. This is where most people would say, “But don’t take my word for it.” I disagree — working on the show gives me more perspective than the average viewer and you absolutely should take my word for it. However, you can also take these critics’ words for it:

Via IGN:

Strip Law is a show that is aware of itself as a TV show, hitting the beats while throwing everything at the wall… with most of it sticking. Episodes feature plots like putting the characters in a virtual HR seminar hosted by an AI amalgamation of the Rat Pack while the rest of the town is rioting over an update of the horny claymation characters, the Hot Dates. Yet, even with all of that going on, it’s never overwhelming, because Crawford and company remember this needs to first be about Gumb, Flambé, and the other staff of the law firm. Even when the show is going for the throat with an episode about the emptiness of religious shows in Vegas mixed with the nihilism of faith-based filmmaking (including an absolutely wild live-action trailer), it’s surprisingly respectful in its exploration, and continues to focus on what this means for Gumb and his co-workers.
In essence, what Strip Law is doing isn’t reinventing the wheel so much as discovering a new, exciting voice (tire?) in animated comedy. Cullen Crawford gives Strip Law a different pace and tone while also delivering what audiences have craved since the beginning of animation: good characters, wild situations, and a way of using the form to the height of its abilities.
A hundred years Strip Law!

Wow! If that feels too effusive to believe, tamper your expectations via L.A. Times who called it “off-putting” but ultimately liked it (?). They don’t even seem to know, which I think means we hit our sweet spot:

The series felt a little off-putting at first, as if it were straining for effect, but gathered steam as it went on, either because the later episodes are weirder or better written, or because one just gets used to being in that world with those people. There is just enough character in the comedy to create stakes in the narrative; its misfit energy has fueled the screen’s bands of outsiders throughout the years. (“Even when you’re a disaster, you’re a disaster for the right people,” Irene tells Lincoln.) As to the famous fine line between stupid and clever, the stupidity and the cleverness are all but inextricable, and to the point.

Most importantly: After you’re done watching Strip Law (and rewatching, and leaving on repeat for your dog while you’re not at home) make sure to click on “RATE THIS TITLE” and click the double-thumbs-up icon to tell Netflix’s algorithm you “Love this!” and want to see Season Two.

DO NOT GIVE STRIP LAW A ONE-THUMBS UP. This goes by the same rule as reviewing the electrician that came to your house. Anything less than five-stars (or two-thumbs up) and we will be executed by robots.

Just Announced:

Lilo & Stitch #626

Coming from Dynamite Entertainment on 6/26/26 — get it? You get it. And you SHOULD get it, by which I mean, our new Lilo & Stitch comic.

I love this movie, my kid loves this movie — also my kid sort of is this movie, vibe-wise, but that’s not pertinent unless you’re wondering how tired I am at any given moment. Assume very.

When editor Nate Cosby (also of Darkwing Duck fame) asked me which Lilo & Stitch supporting character I was interested in exploring, it was actually a difficult decision, but ultimately not that difficult as a former young person who grew up obsessed with the Men In Black, both cinematic and secretly real.

Prepare to receive your security clearances for the extremely unofficial origin of AGENT COBRA BUBBLES (as imagined and told by Lilo herself).

Via ICv2:

Lilo & Stitch: 626, the anthology series, will run three issues, publishing in May, June, and July. This surrounds 626 Day, Disney's celebration of Stitch on June 26.
The first issue contains two stories under a cover by Sean Galloway. The first, by writer Daniel Kibblesmith and artist Elisa Pochetta, shows us Lilo's version of the secret origin of Agent Cobra Bubbles. The second puts a solo Captain Gantu on an Old West-type planet in a story written and drawn by George Kambadais.
Future issues will spotlight characters that include Nani, Jumba, Pleakley, David, and Mertle. Writers and artist will include Moana McAdams, Chuck Brown, Jeff Parker, Edwin Galmon, Miriana Puglia, Emiliana Pinna, and Giulia Giacomino.
Dynamite will release a Stitch #1 issue for Free Comic Book Day on May 2, 2026

Call your local comics shop NOW to reserve a copy for your child or inner childlike alien killing machine.

Also Still On Sale!

Rick And Morty: The End from Oni Press
Rick And Morty Vs. The Universe from Oni Press
Darkwing Duck from Dynamite Entertainment
Rick And Morty: Last Mort Standing from Oni Press
And the 144-page, illustrated hardcover handbook from Chronicle Books — So You’ve Been Bitten By A Radioactive Spider: How To Survive The Marvel Universe.

—all available digitally or from a local comic shop near you.

Okay, talk later.

Rick and Morty: Forever, Darkwing Duck hits bookstores — and more.

February 11, 2026 Daniel Kibblesmith

Hi, all.

I went ahead and wrote the last Rick And Morty comic.

At least, the last one from Oni Press, the publisher that has held the license for the past ten years and put out many, MANY Rick And Morty comics by creators like Kyle Starks, Tini Howard, Marc Ellerby, Tom Fowler, Zander Cannon, Jim Zub, Nick Filardi, CJ Cannon, Jake Black, Jody Houser, Meg Casey, the team of Alex Firer and Fred C. Stresing both together and separately — honestly too many to list here. But only one writer was so unapologetically awful that they could be trusted to destroy this comics line once and for all, and I was not a hard man to find.

Artist, Troy Little, was probably a harder man to find, because he is enormously talented and therefore enormously busy. Together, along with the whole Oni Press gang, we bring you the epic 48 page series finale Rick And Morty: Forever. If you’ve been watching this space (or following the comics) you know that myself, Jarrett Williams, Alessandro Santoro and company have been torturing Rick and Morty through two epic, cosmic, universe-spanning (and universe-fighting) miniseries: Rick And Morty Vs. The Universe and Rick And Morty: The End. So what comes after The End? It’s like the blue guy says, “Nothing ever ends.” And then he showed his penis and became god. Via Oni Press:

How do you punish the smartest man in the universe?
Show him everything—everything—he’s ever wanted to know or see, and afford him no power to do anything about it,” reads the Oni Press release. “Rick Sanchez, the destroyer of worlds. Now he sits in endless observation of all there is to see, tortured by cosmic impotence, the ultimate expression of ‘go to your room and think about what you did.
But in his endless torment, Rick realizes that a fate of unspeakable horror also awaits his unwitting companion: his grandson, Morty. Can Rick save the soul of the only being that ever stood by him through all his indiscretions? Can the transformative power of love give rise to the triumph of the human spirit? Or is everything just #@$%@?

Find out by pre-ordering Rick And Morty: Forever — digitally or from a local comic shop near you.

Coming To Paperback And Hardcover

Darkwing Duck: Year One, Part One

Let’s get dangerous. And let’s get more durable.

The only downside to writing Darkwing Duck stories in a print medium is that you don’t get to hear the theme song, which is why I’ve been trying to get into your house at night, so I can personally soothe and thrill you with it. Since you’ve been pretending you didn’t see or hear me (how dare you), I am thrilled and soothed to announce that the first paperback collection of our Darkwing Duck comics from Dynamite Entertainment will soon be appearing in a cloud of smoke in a comic shop or bookstore near you.

Via Dynamite:

HE PUTS THE "ABLE" IN "UNRELIABLE NARRATOR"!
He is the terror that flaps in the night! The fowl that felons most fear! A legend in his own time (and his own mind)! He is... DARKWING DUCK!
But how did this avian exemplar develop his redoubtable reputation? What lessons did he learn in his early days of crime-busting and foe-foiling? His legion of fans (or, at least, his adopted daughter, Gosalyn) want to know - and DW is more than happy to tell her the whole (possibly embellished) story in this unauthorized (and unorganized) autobiography!
Acclaimed author DANIEL KIBBLESMITH (Black Panther vs. Deadpool) and the double-headed art team of TED BRANDT & RO STEIN (The Mighty Captain Marvel) return to the rooftops of St. Canard for an all-new tale that revisits (and revises) Darkwing Duck's formative years.
Collecting issues #1-6 of the high-flying series, Darkwing Duck: Year One, Part One also includes a complete cover gallery featuring iconic imagery from BRANDT & STEIN, MARK BAGLEY, NICOLETTA BALDARI, CIRO CANGIALOSI, and TAD STONES - creator of the original Darkwing Duck animated series!

These are all-ages comics for the whole family (honestly designed, by me, for millennial parents to read with and to children) — so if your floppy Darkwing Duck comics are already officially graded as 10.0’s and perma-bound in Lucite, here’s an opportunity to give a sturdy volume of Darkwing comics to a kid who is allowed to throw it in their backpack, leave it in their tree house, and overall read it to shreds.

Preorder it directly from Dynamite here or call your favorite local comic shop or bookstore now.

On Sale Now

Rick And Morty: The End from Oni Press ongoing monthly at a local comic shop near you.
So You’ve Been Bitten By A Radioactive Spider: How To Survive The Marvel Universe in handbook-sized hardcover from Chronicle Books

Coming VERY Soon!

Strip Law on Netflix!

Set your reminders now and follow the official Strip Law Instagram account for more extremely funny clips and trailers like this one.

Currently Reading

I’ve been pushing Adam Becker’s More Everything Forever like I get a cut. We already know that billionaires are ignoring real world problems and their own roles in them by hyperfocusing on an impossible A.I. fueled pipe dream future in space, but it’s cathartic to hear a very smart person make an accessible, yet definitive case for why it’s all bullshit. Pick it up right now.

Okay, seeya.